I like this project a lot and the scientific approach is awesome. Science is what brings us to the next level but I wouldn't be too much impressed about the PhD staff.

For sure, they know a lot about certain things and they are intelligent but that's not a guarantee for success. Satoshi describes Bitcoin in a white paper of 8 sites, with the goal in mind that everyone can understand it, without a PhD degree.
Also todays largest companies in the world were build by people without a PhD degree.

I like research and that's why im all for this project but its not everything. Sometimes too much research just complicates easy things.

With that being said; Go ADA.